Shopping carts are a common sight in virtually all grocery stores and supermarkets. They are used by shoppers who are purchasing more than a handful of items. Most carts are equipped with a carrier used to transport infants and small children accompanying the shopper. The carrier may be an integral part of the shopping cart. Alternatively, the cart may be retrofitted with a separate carrier mounted to or on the cart and secured thereto with straps or hardware.
In many instances, the child carrier does not include any type of a restraint system which would serve to prevent the child from climbing or falling out of the carrier. In other instances, the restraint system may prevent falls when the child is sitting, but is deficient in preventing the child from standing up and then falling. Because of the deficiencies in these systems, there are numerous instances each year across the United States of children climbing or falling out of the carrier, resulting in injuries ranging from bruises and broken bones to more serious life threatening injuries or even fatalities.
A number of prior efforts have been made to equip a child carrier on a shopping cart with a restraint system to restrict the movement of the child while in the carrier. One such carrier is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,108,489. This carrier is equipped with side flaps which serve to prevent a child from falling laterally to either side of the cart. The device is designed to be permanently attached to the cart, or to be collapsed into a folded seat which can be easily carried by a shopper for attaching to a cart upon entering a store.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,312,122 describes a cart attachment for improving the child carrying capabilities of the cart. The attachment includes a back guard and harness system for preventing a child from standing up and/or turning around while in the seat of the cart carrier.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,547,250 describes a cushioned child restraint and seating device for use with a shopping cart. The device includes a horizontal seat member and a back rest. A pad having wing members is attached to the back rest and is adapted to wrap around a child's torso to secure the child against the back rest.
U.S. design Pat. No. 343,257 is an ornamental design for a child safety harness having a single attachment to the rear of a shipping cart.